It is known to provide lighting for various locations in a vehicle by utilizing a number of discreet incandescent bulbs or other light sources in the immediate area where illumination is desired. More recently, distributed light systems have found use in the vehicle. These may use fiber optics or other means to deliver the light to a desired location. The use of a lens and focusing or dispersing devices may be employed to direct the light. For example, what started with a single vehicular dome light has now progressed to as many as 40 lights distributed through the vehicle to illuminate a wide variety of functional areas.
Such areas as foot wells, door handles, seats, trunks, cargo areas, dashboards, door sills, headliners, grab handles, etc. may be illuminated using a wide combination of technologies. In addition to incandescent lights and fluorescent lighting, LED illumination, cold cathode technology, and electroluminescent technology may now find use, further adding to the problem of how to most efficiently manage the many locations and differing technologies.
Vehicle lighting tends to be relatively inadequate in trunk areas, cargo spaces, around door sills and in foot wells, all of which are generally trimmed with darkly colored carpeting.
The problem is exacerbated in the evening and in dimly lit garages where ambient light is relatively low.